I can only hope for such move from Microsoft. I think that Adobe will be more inclined to make a Linux version of Photoshop which would result in mass suicide on GIMP vs Photoshop threads.
Pirates learn much quicker than MS management does. The versions that one can buy in easter Europe now include many useful programs such as WinRar by default. You usually buy a DVD which includes not only XP, but also MSOffice, Photoshop, several antivirus and antispyware products, firewalls, various tools and utils including local street maps, telephone books etc. And there is some kind of a package manager on DVD. And the worst thing is: no matter what's on DVD be it XP, Vista, Linux or some movie -- every DVD costs exactly the same. That is the closest thing to a Linux distribution in Windows world both in features and price. And you can have LiveCD-like environment (albeit crappy in comparison) with bartPE on the same DVD. Little wonder that Windows monopoly is absolute in countries with high level of software piracy. Linux can hardly compete with such offerings given usual vendor lock-in and users' mind inertia.
It is possible, you may need a bit of patience here though... But once you have explained where "the internet", "the mail" and "the pictures" are, expect to have no problems anymore, at least no security-related. And create nice big icons on desktop.
I opt for Lord of War then -- at least you can share the bullets or give magazines to your friends, you can re-use cartrige case with your own powder and bullets. Besides, you can use standard bullets with a compatible weapon of your choice.
And if you read the book (even silently) you can MEMORIZE parts of it! It is undoubtly illegal! We have to remove the part of brain that is responcible for memorizing ot at least make people dumb enough that they couldn't memorize anything. Hmm... By the look of US educational system, second path has been chosen.
Well, a grand-son who sets up the whole system is more than capable of explaining how "Add and remove" program works. And if that fails -- there's always ssh to the rescue.
Well, that erases first 512 bytes of hard drive -- boot sector. You can do this from any LiveCD. Apparently They must have made some incompatible bootloader. I still wonder why it isn't rewritten on Ubuntu install though...
Never heard about that before, you mean you can't boot from a LiveCD and make a clean install? What kind of crappy distribution is that?! I cannot imagine how that works -- if you can change boot disk in BIOS any distro or OS will shut up and let you do what you want.
They neither target users nor fight piracy in that move. Remember, MS can effectively negotiate with any government forcing them to fight software piracy. Their target are OEM's who can be forced to be legal, to pay MS tax. It won't be much -- 5-10$ per PC maybe, but it is still better than 0$. Another advantage is close to none customer support -- users'll wipe out this pre-install Starter Edition and install pirated and unsupported Ultimate. As a bonus -- MS will be able to put pressure on OEMs in developing countries -- those who dare to sell non-Windows PC's won't get Starter Edition contracts anymore. A triple win situation.
That's interesting... A nover approach to security if they do. Face it -- all of us will be happy if a Joe User will have to do a complete reinstall after getting 3 worms.
Bundeswehr is an established word which describes German armed forces. It is used in many languages not only german. And this word is in Oxford dictionary too. It is similar to Sputnik, for example. Not that uncommon for any language to use foreigh words, you now...
Good point. 6 PCs, countless peripherials, most bought all bought after research, all works fine. No Linux support -- no money! I dissagree with your 512 mb threshhold though. Linux works well on older hardware, you simply have to pick appropriate distribution. Of course, if you are not allowed to change anything on a machine, that's a different thing.
I have Puppy Linux on my USB stick for emergencies and ancient hardware:)
Once you've made a switch it is just too expensive to switch back. The only thing that changing to Linux has cost was time. I became useful experience in exchange. And the time I have spent -- I got it back by not dealing with Windows security anymore. Now I have 6 PC's in my family (we badly need them for communication because we are spread thin across Europe). Only one of them came with XP Home preinstalled. I have either built the PC's myself or bought them without OS (one PC is a "defunct" throwaway I have repaired by installing Linux). Consider what a switch to Windows (being it Vista or 7) would cost. First, I have to throw away at least 1 of our PC's. Maybe more -- there is no way of telling, you now, they don't offer LiveCDs so I could test without the need to reformat my hard drive. Secondly, I need to buy at least five copies cause I am not a small business and cannot buy volume licenses. And that amounts to about the cost of a new PC. What for? I can't think of anything Windows is capable of that Linux distributions are not that is worth this money. Hardware support? All my hardware is Linux-supported, thanks (I buy only after research). Games? My parents and my sister are quite happy with their Wiis and rest of us either doesn't play at all or lives happy with dozens small games every Linux distribution is being supplied with. MS Office -- OOo compatibility is more than enough for us and MSO isn't cheap too.
Don't let your overconfidence give them yet another advantage. We've seen what MS is capable of, they might return to laughing or even ignoring in no time!
I use AMSN for MSN-base video conferences. Kopete has webcam support too. I need no audio though. If both video and audio is needed and the parents are somehow unable to use skype, you may have your point. My situation is slightly different -- my parents have dialup so I can either talk with them (ekiga/twinkle because skype sucks on that speed) or use webcam (amsn). Oh, my parents have Linux too, I am too far away to be able to deal with an infection.
They were worried since at least 1998 (if you look into their leaked internal documents). They've seen that Linux is rather successful on servers because it follows and uses open standards so they have closed and crippled standards that desktop systems are using. Office formats for work, IE and ActiveX for internet, DirectX for games. To some extend they even managed to cripple hardware standards (most notably ACPI). But something has changed lately. There were no competition between pre-installed and (in users' minds) free Windows to always-needed-to-be-installed Linux. Falling hardware prices and netbook rise have changed the landscape though. Not only Linux is a much better alternative for netbooks, it also comes preinstalled which finally puts both systems in a direct competition while eliminates hardware incompatibilities Linux was suffering from (it eliminates most of software incompatibilities too, as those are not gamers machines and they usually have no CD-ROM). Sure, MS was able to get good deals with ASUS' EEE but to what cost? Now they have to lower the prices or hand out money to avoid competition instead of threatening to raise them.
The only downside I see in lacking Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 Linux support is that Blizzard have lost a customer. I don't want to hand out additional 100$ in order to simply being able play their game. Many Linux users would support a vendor who makes good quality games for their favorite platform (I bought Penumbra Black Plague last year). Sure, our numbers are small but there are still more Linux users then WoW players not to mention good publicity among the geeks.
You do know that they are other stats with different results for Linux and Mac? All the stats remind me of IE usage staistics -- it looks like a heartbeat if you look at the weekly stats -- fells sharp every saturday and raises back to where it was next monday. Same goes with Linux and MacOS. You can only see the trends from the statistics. And Linux is growing albeit at a slow pace.
Then again, even with claimed 0-digit share Microsoft is still fighting Linux very actively. Methods range from EDGI group to funding SCO's lawsuit, with broken and incompatible standards being their favorites. And if you read Halloween documents, you'll see that this fighting has a long story.
I still tend to think that MS share is rather a result of exclusive OEM and corporate contracts and mind's inertia then of the theoretical users' fear of command line in Linux (they don't know about Linux in the first place, they think PC=Windows if at all!) which I am somehow able to avoid completely in order to install Ubuntu on most if not all PC's I came across with.
You now, the things that every Windows user think of as "advanced" -- like, launching antivirus full-disk scan once in a while, getting rid of malware with malware scanner, manually checking for updates for every networked program, checking firewall to be sure that you are part of a botnet and reinstalling the whole system if the above fails (plus installing every single app manually).
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No, that's different. Think different, remember?
Still pretty easy to spoof.
Doesn't he have to know the original pin for this?
I can only hope for such move from Microsoft. I think that Adobe will be more inclined to make a Linux version of Photoshop which would result in mass suicide on GIMP vs Photoshop threads.
I, for one, welcome our ariborne dual-booting overlords.
Pirates learn much quicker than MS management does. The versions that one can buy in easter Europe now include many useful programs such as WinRar by default. You usually buy a DVD which includes not only XP, but also MSOffice, Photoshop, several antivirus and antispyware products, firewalls, various tools and utils including local street maps, telephone books etc. And there is some kind of a package manager on DVD. And the worst thing is: no matter what's on DVD be it XP, Vista, Linux or some movie -- every DVD costs exactly the same.
That is the closest thing to a Linux distribution in Windows world both in features and price. And you can have LiveCD-like environment (albeit crappy in comparison) with bartPE on the same DVD. Little wonder that Windows monopoly is absolute in countries with high level of software piracy. Linux can hardly compete with such offerings given usual vendor lock-in and users' mind inertia.
It is possible, you may need a bit of patience here though... But once you have explained where "the internet", "the mail" and "the pictures" are, expect to have no problems anymore, at least no security-related.
And create nice big icons on desktop.
Hold on, reading them a copyright notice creates a copy of said copyright notice. You need to read them copyright notice first.
I opt for Lord of War then -- at least you can share the bullets or give magazines to your friends, you can re-use cartrige case with your own powder and bullets. Besides, you can use standard bullets with a compatible weapon of your choice.
And if you read the book (even silently) you can MEMORIZE parts of it! It is undoubtly illegal! We have to remove the part of brain that is responcible for memorizing ot at least make people dumb enough that they couldn't memorize anything.
Hmm... By the look of US educational system, second path has been chosen.
Well, a grand-son who sets up the whole system is more than capable of explaining how "Add and remove" program works. And if that fails -- there's always ssh to the rescue.
Well, that erases first 512 bytes of hard drive -- boot sector. You can do this from any LiveCD. Apparently They must have made some incompatible bootloader. I still wonder why it isn't rewritten on Ubuntu install though...
Never heard about that before, you mean you can't boot from a LiveCD and make a clean install?
What kind of crappy distribution is that?!
I cannot imagine how that works -- if you can change boot disk in BIOS any distro or OS will shut up and let you do what you want.
They neither target users nor fight piracy in that move. Remember, MS can effectively negotiate with any government forcing them to fight software piracy.
Their target are OEM's who can be forced to be legal, to pay MS tax. It won't be much -- 5-10$ per PC maybe, but it is still better than 0$. Another advantage is close to none customer support -- users'll wipe out this pre-install Starter Edition and install pirated and unsupported Ultimate.
As a bonus -- MS will be able to put pressure on OEMs in developing countries -- those who dare to sell non-Windows PC's won't get Starter Edition contracts anymore. A triple win situation.
That's interesting... A nover approach to security if they do. Face it -- all of us will be happy if a Joe User will have to do a complete reinstall after getting 3 worms.
Ok, I can crack a WEP network in under 30 minutes, does that make me qualified?
If you get your own "Das Keyboard" in the Bundeswehr -- I'm all for it.
Bundeswehr is an established word which describes German armed forces. It is used in many languages not only german. And this word is in Oxford dictionary too.
It is similar to Sputnik, for example. Not that uncommon for any language to use foreigh words, you now...
Good point. 6 PCs, countless peripherials, most bought all bought after research, all works fine. No Linux support -- no money!
I dissagree with your 512 mb threshhold though. Linux works well on older hardware, you simply have to pick appropriate distribution. Of course, if you are not allowed to change anything on a machine, that's a different thing.
I have Puppy Linux on my USB stick for emergencies and ancient hardware :)
Once you've made a switch it is just too expensive to switch back.
The only thing that changing to Linux has cost was time. I became useful experience in exchange. And the time I have spent -- I got it back by not dealing with Windows security anymore.
Now I have 6 PC's in my family (we badly need them for communication because we are spread thin across Europe). Only one of them came with XP Home preinstalled. I have either built the PC's myself or bought them without OS (one PC is a "defunct" throwaway I have repaired by installing Linux).
Consider what a switch to Windows (being it Vista or 7) would cost. First, I have to throw away at least 1 of our PC's. Maybe more -- there is no way of telling, you now, they don't offer LiveCDs so I could test without the need to reformat my hard drive. Secondly, I need to buy at least five copies cause I am not a small business and cannot buy volume licenses. And that amounts to about the cost of a new PC.
What for? I can't think of anything Windows is capable of that Linux distributions are not that is worth this money. Hardware support? All my hardware is Linux-supported, thanks (I buy only after research). Games? My parents and my sister are quite happy with their Wiis and rest of us either doesn't play at all or lives happy with dozens small games every Linux distribution is being supplied with. MS Office -- OOo compatibility is more than enough for us and MSO isn't cheap too.
Don't let your overconfidence give them yet another advantage.
We've seen what MS is capable of, they might return to laughing or even ignoring in no time!
I use AMSN for MSN-base video conferences. Kopete has webcam support too. I need no audio though.
If both video and audio is needed and the parents are somehow unable to use skype, you may have your point.
My situation is slightly different -- my parents have dialup so I can either talk with them (ekiga/twinkle because skype sucks on that speed) or use webcam (amsn). Oh, my parents have Linux too, I am too far away to be able to deal with an infection.
They were worried since at least 1998 (if you look into their leaked internal documents). They've seen that Linux is rather successful on servers because it follows and uses open standards so they have closed and crippled standards that desktop systems are using. Office formats for work, IE and ActiveX for internet, DirectX for games. To some extend they even managed to cripple hardware standards (most notably ACPI).
But something has changed lately. There were no competition between pre-installed and (in users' minds) free Windows to always-needed-to-be-installed Linux.
Falling hardware prices and netbook rise have changed the landscape though. Not only Linux is a much better alternative for netbooks, it also comes preinstalled which finally puts both systems in a direct competition while eliminates hardware incompatibilities Linux was suffering from (it eliminates most of software incompatibilities too, as those are not gamers machines and they usually have no CD-ROM).
Sure, MS was able to get good deals with ASUS' EEE but to what cost? Now they have to lower the prices or hand out money to avoid competition instead of threatening to raise them.
The only downside I see in lacking Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 Linux support is that Blizzard have lost a customer. I don't want to hand out additional 100$ in order to simply being able play their game. Many Linux users would support a vendor who makes good quality games for their favorite platform (I bought Penumbra Black Plague last year). Sure, our numbers are small but there are still more Linux users then WoW players not to mention good publicity among the geeks.
You do know that they are other stats with different results for Linux and Mac?
All the stats remind me of IE usage staistics -- it looks like a heartbeat if you look at the weekly stats -- fells sharp every saturday and raises back to where it was next monday. Same goes with Linux and MacOS. You can only see the trends from the statistics. And Linux is growing albeit at a slow pace.
Then again, even with claimed 0-digit share Microsoft is still fighting Linux very actively. Methods range from EDGI group to funding SCO's lawsuit, with broken and incompatible standards being their favorites. And if you read Halloween documents, you'll see that this fighting has a long story.
I still tend to think that MS share is rather a result of exclusive OEM and corporate contracts and mind's inertia then of the theoretical users' fear of command line in Linux (they don't know about Linux in the first place, they think PC=Windows if at all!) which I am somehow able to avoid completely in order to install Ubuntu on most if not all PC's I came across with.
You now, the things that every Windows user think of as "advanced" -- like, launching antivirus full-disk scan once in a while, getting rid of malware with malware scanner, manually checking for updates for every networked program, checking firewall to be sure that you are part of a botnet and reinstalling the whole system if the above fails (plus installing every single app manually).